take a walk (clear your head)
by galaxies in her eyes
Summary: Ginny can't sleep for night terrors. Luna also happens to be awake. For Audrey.


**dedicated to audrey. happy birthday! it's been wonderful getting to know you. i hope you have a wonderful day :)**

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Ginny bolted upright in her bed, shaking like a leaf being blown in an October gale and covered in cold sweat. It was him again: Tom Riddle. Nearly two years later, and she was still haunted by the terrors that visited her each time she closed her eyes. He was impossible to escape from; he regularly told her that in her dreams.

She'd tried everything short of letting Professor Dumbledore extract the memories from her head. She'd been prescribed Dreamless Sleep but had become addicted to it faster than was normal. Snape had even been called upon to brew a special sleeping potion for her!

Nothing worked. Tom's face appeared to her, painted across the backs of her eyelids, every time she drifted into slumber.

Ginny sighed and slid her legs over the edge of the bed. No use trying to get back to sleep now. She felt around on the carpeted floor for her slippers with her bare toes. When she found them, she slipped her feet inside, revelling at the instant warmth, and made her way to the door. She placed a hand on the doorknob, pushing the door further toward the frame to prevent it from squeaking, and turned the knob, looking back into the dorm as she closed it again. A beam of moonlight fell across her empty bed, clearly showing the mussed covers and illuminating the fact that she definitely wasn't in it. For once, though, Ginny didn't care. She needed air and a walk.

* * *

The corridors were almost eerily silent as Ginny tiptoed around. Her slippers made a soft slap with each step she took, though she tried her best to remain quiet. She didn't know where she was going. She simply hoped she wasn't caught by Filch or McGonagall.

She climbed the stairs to the Astronomy Tower and turned a corner. In the little cushioned nook by the window, there was a dim light that appeared to flicker. A candle. She crept closer and then stubbed her toe hard against a raised part on the floor. She emitted a string of curses — _damn her foul-mouthed brothers!_ — and knew her cover was blown. The candle was picked up and the person came closer.

"Luna?" Ginny blurted. It was definitely the second-year Ravenclaw; the large blue eyes peering at her over the top of the yellow flame confirmed that fact. "What are you doing up here?"

"I should ask you the same," countered the blonde. "I couldn't sleep."

"Me either," Ginny admitted. "I just see… _him_."

Luna nodded sagely. "Come sit," she said, crossing back to the window seat and patting the space beside her. She set the candle between them. "I've found that talking about things always help. Did you know that Nargles are wonderful listeners?"

Ginny tried not to laugh. Thankfully, Luna seemed not to notice. "No, I didn't know that."

Luna hummed and changed the subject. "Why can't you sleep?"

"Every time I try to go to sleep, Tom is there." The redhead stared at her hands. "Why can't I just get over this?" she burst out. "Why doesn't anything work to keep me from dreaming about him?"

"And you don't want to dream about him?"

" _No_!" Ginny calmed and repeated, "No. I want to be free of him, not be reminded of the stupid things I've done."

Luna scooted closer. "If you are reminded of the stupid things you've done in the past, you will be less likely to ever do those things again."

Ginny hunched in on herself. "But what if I _do_?" she whispered. "What if I don't learn and repeat this all over again?"

"You won't," Luna vowed firmly. "It wasn't you, anyway. It was _him_ , possessing you."

Ginny's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you, Luna," she said, throwing her arms around the blonde's neck.

The younger girl patted her on the back before withdrawing. She looked more serious than Ginny had ever seen her. "If you ever feel like something is wrong or you're being possessed again, promise me you'll tell someone."

Ginny promised.

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 **i would love it if you knew what book the name of this comes from ;)**

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 _word count: 678_


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